Rugby: Eddie O'Sullivan is set to become Ireland's longest-serving coach after accepting a four-year extension to his contract, which was due to expire at the end of this season's Six Nations. This would thus extend his tenure to beyond the 2007 World Cup and culminate in the 2008 Six Nations championship.
"The union have made this approach to me and I'm quite happy to take the opportunity to continue in the job," said a content-looking O'Sullivan after yesterday's surprise announcement. "I've been very happy with the support I've got from the union in the two years I've been involved and I think it's gone fairly well for every side."
After such a congested, intense time in the job, in which Ireland's 77 per cent winning ratio of 20 victories out of 26 games makes O'Sullivan Ireland's most successful coach in terms of wins and losses, he admits the two years have flown by. "It's gone very quickly and it's a job that I'm enjoying at the moment, and I feel I'm getting a handle on it as I go along. I'd like to believe that I can offer more down the track."
This deal, were he to see it through, would take his reign into the realm of 80 matches, and coming into the World Cup it should take the heat off him, which will benefit the team.
"I think the timing is good," he said, in venturing this development "should steady the ship," and added: "Had I finished up after two and a half years, I would have felt there was more I could have given."
Save for the build up to the Grand Slam decider in Lansdowne Road last March, at which time he had presided over an all-time Irish record of 10 successive wins, O'Sullivan has never been in a better bargaining position. After the heavy defeats to England and Australia which followed, Ireland have regrouped with wins over Tonga, Samoa, Italy, Wales and Scotland.
The recent decision by the International Rugby Board, in which Syd Millar is acting chairman and Noel Murphy is Ireland's other representative, to introduce a new world ranking system with Ireland positioned at third in the pecking order possibly did O'Sullivan no harm, even if it was universally derided and especially so in Australia, given the Wallabies' 45-16 win over Ireland last June in Perth.
But those results have been consistent with O'Sullivan's reign to date, during which time Ireland lost to England (twice), France, New Zealand (twice) and Australia. Ireland conceded 40-something points in all but the 15-6 first Test defeat to the All Blacks in Dunedin. All but the Grand Slam decider were away from home, with that England defeat representing Ireland's only defeat in a 12 home games since the 40-29 defeat to the All Blacks two years ago - Warren Gatland's last game in charge.
Taking the Zurich world ranking as a more accurate barometer, where Ireland have consistently been placed sixth in the O'Sullivan era, the two victories Ireland achieved over any of the five sides ranked above them were last season's wins over Australia and France at Lansdowne Road. That 18-9 victory over the Wallabies constituted Ireland's first win over one of the Southern Hemisphere big three in 24 years, while under O'Sullivan Ireland have never lost to a side ranked lower than them.
As this constituted first back-to-back wins over Scotland in Ireland's Murrayfield nemesis for the first time in 30 years, that's no mean achievement. It also includes last autumn's rain-sodden 16-7 win over Argentina, and the IRFU will be hopeful O'Sullivan at least maintains the trend by avenging the World Cup quarter-final play-off defeat to the Pumas in Lens and thereby earn Ireland a quarter-final.
That match was always set to define the O'Sullivan era and it's something of a surprise the IRFU have pre-empted that pivotal pool match, rather than wait until after the World Cup, given O'Sullivan was under contract until the end of this season's Six Nations championship in April.
Save for the six-year deal initially brokered with Brian Ashton, and much trumpeted by the IRFU at the time, they aren't known for such largesse at 62 Lansdowne Road, especially as Ashton scarcely lasted a year and didn't even see the 1999 World Cup with Ireland. Furthermore, when Gatland agitated for an extension to the two-year deal he had to take him up to this World Cup, he was given short shrift by Millar, Murphy and company.
In such a volatile business as coaching one could hardly have blamed O'Sullivan had he agitated for a new deal and thus greater long-term security but he maintains this was not the case, and that the lead came entirely from the union.
"It came from them, absolutely. I really thought we'd sit down after the World Cup to be honest, given that the contract was up in April and that November or December would be the time to sit down."
Philip Browne, the IRFU chief executive, confirmed "the initiative came from the union. We have a small group who are involved in making representative appointments and making recommendations, and they have the authority from the union."
The three IRFU full committee members on this king-making group - the Representative Team Appointments Committee - are Millar, Murphy and Pat Whelan, while Browne and the IRFU's director of rugby, Eddie Wigglesworth sit in on their meetings in an advisory capacity.
Asked whether there might have been a fear of other countries or clubs making overtures to O'Sullivan, Browne said this had not been a factor, maintaining instead it was "just good planning". It would seem to rule O'Sullivan out as coach to the Lions in 2005, for which Clive Woodward looks strong favourite anyhow, though in the frame for 2009.
